ATHENS – Arrested MP Kostas Barbaroussis is to appear before an examining magistrate on Wedesday to answer to the charges of fomenting high treason, following his statements in Parliament on Friday.

Counter-terrorism officers arrested Barbaroussis, who was ousted from the far-right Golden Dawn party following his remarks, at a house in the Athens suburb of Penteli shortly after 8:00 on Monday.

They were executing a warrant for his arrest issued on the basis of criminal charges of taking preparatory actions to commit high treason.

Following his arrest, the MP asked and was given additional time to prepare his testimony on the charges against him. According to his legal counsel, he denies the charges and described the entire episode as an “unfortunate choice of words used uttered during his speech at a moment of peak emotion”.

The lawyer also pointed out that his client has already recanted and will do so again before the magistrate, while his intention was just to place emphasis on his arguments.

Barbaroussis was charged based on his speech in Parliament, during which he called on the military to arrest the president, prime minister and defence minister over the deal on the FYROM name issue. His prosecution was launched on the same day, by a public prosecutor that issued a warrant for his arrest, following a formal complaint lodged with the Supreme Court by Defence Minister Panos Kammenos and Alternate Defence Minister Fotis Kouvelis.